Portable signal apparatus for mines.



J. W. PAUL. PORTABLE SIGNAL APPARATUS FOR MINES.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 5, 1914. I

Patented July '7, 1914.

1,102,793., S E T THE NORRIS PETERS CO PHOTO-LITHQ, WASHINGTON, D. C.

J. W. PAUL.

PORTABLE SIGNAL APPARATUS FOR MINES.

APPLICATION FILED MAY5, 1914.

1,102,793. Patented Jul 7, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

THE NORRIS PETERS CO.. PHOTO-LITHIl. WASHINGTON. D. C

-.of the JAMES w. PAUL, or navrs,

V/EST VIRGINIA.

PORTABLE SIGNAL APPARATUS'FOR MINES.

Application filed May 5, 1914.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 7, 1914. Serial no. 836,586.

(DEDICATED TO Til-IE PUBLIC.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JAMns W. PAUL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Davis, Tucker county, Vest Virginia, have invented an Improved Portable Signal Apparatus for Mines, of which the following is a specification.

This application is made under the act of March 3, 1883, chapter 143, U. S. Statute XXII, page 625, and the invention herein described and claimed may be used by the Government of the United States or by any of its officers or employees in the prosecution of work for the'United States, or by any 7 person in the United States, without the payment of any royalty thereon.

My invention relates to portable signal ing apparatus particularly adapted for use in mine-rescue work. In work of this character it is a desirable object to provide an effloient signaling means between the rescuing operator who descends the mine shaft and the operators in charge at the head of the shaft and in the engine house, and, further, to so construct the signaling means that should the rescuing operator be disabled or overcome by gas or should the signaling apparatus be rendered inoperative, an alarm will be automatically sounded at the head of the shaft and in the engine room. My invention is designed to accomplish the above object. Its nature and characteristic features will be readily understood from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a perspective view of the apparatus as a whole. Fig. 2 is a front elevation, partly broken away and in section, of a casing or trunk which carries a winding reel and other parts of the signaling apparatus. Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic View showing the circuit connections.

Referring to the above views, and particularly to Figs. 1 and 2, the parts apparatus placed adjacent the head of the shaft are inclosed in a casing or trunk having an upper and a lower compartment. vAccess to these compartments may be had through hinged side doors 1 and 2 and a removable cover 3. A winding reel carrying a cable 7 of any suitable length, say 2,500 feet, is journaled in the upper compartment. The reel is composed of a hollow barrel 5, preferably of brass, and end flanges 8 of steel. 9 having their outer ends reduced to form stub shafts 10 are fastened in the two ends of the barrel and the stub shafts are journaled in bearings formed in the trunk. One of the stub shafts extends through the side of the trunk, its outer extension being further reduced to receive the sleeve 11 of crank v12. The crank is preferably made removable. On the outer face of one of the reel flanges, two concentric collector rings 13 and 1 1 are attached, suitable insulating r aterial being placed between the rings and flange. Brushes l5 and 16 mounted in the trunk contact with the rings 13 and 14, respectively. The cable 7 includes two insulated wires 17 and 18, the inner ends of which are threaded through an oblique hole 19 drilled through the barrel 5, plug 9, and flange 8 and are then connected to the collector rings 14 and 13, respectively.

The lower compartment of the trunk carriestwo batteries 20 and21, a relay 22'and abell 'The relay and bell are secured to the inner face of the door 1.

Switch sockets 24 and 25, adapted to receive two-pole plug switches 26 and 27, are formed in the side of the trunk. When the apparatus is not in use the plug switches are removed.

The outer or free ends of conductors 17 and 18 are adapted to be connected to binding posts'on a plate 24: secured to the top of a box 25.

26 and 2'? are straps attached to the boX affording a convenient means for attaching the box to the body of an operator. For a right handed operator, the boX is carried atthe right side, the-strap 26 being placed over the left shoulder and the strap 27 around the waist.

28 is a bell secured to the side of the box and 29 is a protectingshield for the bell. The battery 30 (Fig. 3 is carried in the box.

A switch lever 30 is pivoted on the board 24 and is urged or biased by a compression spring 31 to make contact with the terminal 32, but, when the apparatus is being used, it is held down by the operator in contact with terminal 33.

To assemble the apparatus for use, the trunk is placed adjacent the head of the mine shaft, the doors 1 and 2 are unhooked and opened, and the cover 3 removed, e2.- posing the reel, signal bell and relay. An

Steel plugs stationary operator.

operatoris stationed at the trunk to pay out the cable or wind it in as required. The rescuer straps the boX 25 to his side and grasping the switch lever 30- .and holding it firmly down on its lower contact 83, he steps into the cage and is lowered in the shaft,

the cable 7 being paid out according to the rate of his descent.

When the switch lever 30 is held down in contact with the lower terminal 83, the con dition of the circuits is as shown in Fig. 3. The primary circuit, composed of the battery 2,1, brush 15, collector ring 18, conductor 18,, contact 83, switch lever 30, conductor 17, collector ring 1 1-, brush 16,, two-pole plug switch, 2a, 26', and relay 22, is closed. The relay 22; is holding open the bell circuit, comprising the battery20, socket 25, engine house bell 34, socket 25, trunk bell 23, and the armature andback contact of relay 22. Thecircuit oi bell. 28and battery 30. is held open at the upper contact 32. When the engine house bell 8a is not needed, itimay be disconnected from the socket terminals 25 and these. terminals connected by the plug switch 27. The rescuer can nowsignal to the operators at the head of the shaft by manipulating the switch lever 30;, intelligencebeing communicated through any prearranged code of signals; Thebell 28 is provided to facilitate the transmission 0t signals by acting. as a movements of the switch 30. It would also enable the rescuer to. be readily located should the cable be broken and he be overcome or disabled while out of the cage or bucket.

. it will: be seeniroin the above that I have provided a signaling system, in which the primary circuit or the circuit which con.- nects the rescuer with the, apparatusat the headot the shaft, is normally closedby a switch positively held bythe rescuer. the latter should be overcome through. any of the various causes ardous nature of his work, or if the cable should break or any of the connections in the primary circuit should be disrupted,.the relay 22 wouldinstantly release its arma{ ture and cause a continuous ringing of the bellsat the trunkand in the engine house. Thiswould, in every case,: be the signal to hoist immediately.

Vilhile my invention is designed and. is particularly adapted-ior use in the rescue work of mines it is obviously capable of application in various other situations where it is desirable to., est ablish communication between a moving. operator and a relatively.

Having fully described the structure and mode of. operation of my improved. apparatus, I claim asuny invention:

1. A circuit including a portable switch, a source of current and a translating device,

and, a translating device, means trolled by said translating by him in POSltlOIL to sounder to. repeat the i held in. position incident to the hazmeans for coiling and uncoiling a portion metallic circuit'including a portable switch for coiling and uncoiling the conductors forming a portion of the two sides of the circuit-between the switch and translating device, said" switch being biased to move and being adapted. to be carriedby an operator and to-be normally held by himjawayy from its biased position, and a signal con device and rendered active upon movement of the switch to its. biased position. I A; signaling" apparatus comprisinga metallic circuit including a portable, switch, a battery and a magnet,means for'winding the conductors forminga portion of the two sides of the circuitin a coil, said winding means being between the switch and magnet, whereby the distance between the same may be varied: at will, said switch being adapted to be, carriedby an operator and to be held close said. circuit, means tor auto-m atica-lly moving the switch when released, toopen. the circuit, and a signal rendered active upon: deenergization of said magnet. g t. A. signaling apparatus comprising a reel, a pair of insulated conductors arranged. side by side, and wound on thereel, a. portable switch adapted tobe' manually. to connect the free ends of the conductors, but, biased. to move away from such position. when. released, normally closed electrical connections between. the other, ends of said conductors,.said connections. including a magnet, and a signalv ac- .tuated upon deenergization. of, said magnet.

5. A signaling, apparatus comprising a reel, a pair of insulated conductorswound on the reel and forming aportion o't the:two sides of. an electrical circuit, a portable switch; connected with. conductors, and adapted to be normally held in position to. connect said ends, but. biased tomove away from. such position when released, normally closed connections between theinner ends of said conductors, said con- I nectionsincluding a translating device, a source of energy for the normally closed to one position the outer ends of said circuit tormedby said conductors, switch, i

and electrical. connections, and av signal rendered active upon the opening of said circuit.

e. The combination. er a reela cable wound/on; the reel. and including a pair of insulated conductors, asupport and. means for attaching thesame tothe bodyof an operator, the outer ends of the conductors be ing connected to the support, a switch on the support biased to one position, a circuit including said conductors and closed when the operator is holding the switch away from its'biased position, a signal actuated upon the opening of said circuit, and a sec ond signal actuated upon the movement of said switch to biased position.

7. A portable signaling apparatus comprising a casing, a reel journaled in the casing, a pair of substantially coextensive insulated conductors, partly wound on the reel, a pair of collector rings attached to the reel and connected with the inner ends of'the conductors, a pair of brushes contacting alternately connect with the collector rings, electrical connections between the brushes, said connections including a battery and a relay, a support having means of attachment to the body of an operator and connected to the outer ends of the conductors, a switch and a signal mounted on the support, a circuit including the signal, said switch being operable to the outer ends of the conductors and close said circuit, and a signal controlled by said relay.

JAMES'W. PAUL. Witnesses LAUSON STONE, LOUIS F. PERRY.

Copies of this patent maybe obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

